1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a transport assembly for transporting micro-images, and more specifically to a new and improved transport assembly for transporting a variable number of micro-images located on multiple film cards through the illumination path of a viewer printer machine in a predetermined sequence.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many devices have been provided for positioning or locating micro-images in a predetermined position in an illumination path. For example, in apparatus for viewing and printing images stored on microfiche cards, it is normally necessary to position a micro-image disposed on the microfiche card in an illumination path of the apparatus. Microfiche cards generally have a predetermined format, and the transport mechanism is programmed sequentially to position the micro-images on the microfiche card within the illumination path of the machine in a predetermined sequence in accordance with the layout format of the microfiche card. One such transport assembly is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 389,025 filed Aug. 16, 1973 by Joseph Goebel, now U.S. Pat. Noo. 3,870,413 issued Mar. 11, 1975 and assigned to the same assignee as the assignee of the present invention.
Whereas the prior art systems do provide apparatus for successively positioning micro-images disposed on a microfiche card in an illumination path, in practice, the length of documents stored in micro-image form varies considerably, and consequently, the document must be stored on one or more film cards, depending on its length. For example, United States Patents are stored in micro-image form in either one or two (or more) film cards depending on the length of the patent. Consequently, it is desirable to provide a transport mechanism capable of sequentially positioning the micro-images disposed on one or more film cards within a viewer printer machine to permit all of the micro-images comprising the document to be sequentially scanned regardless of the number of micro-images comprising the document and whether the micro-images are disposed on one or more film cards.